Aerospace Metals & Processes Engineer

Vast; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 86,000 - 196,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision coverage

Equity program

Onsite meals and perks

Job summary

Vast, headquartered in Long Beach, CA, is seeking a Materials & Processes Engineer – Metallics to support metallic materials across spaceflight hardware. You will develop specs, qualify materials, and guide manufacturing processes, while collaborating with Design, Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain teams.

The role demands hands-on analysis, strong communication, and the ability to work autonomously in a fast-paced aerospace environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field
• Lvl. I M&P Engineer: 0 years of experience in materials engineering, metallurgy, or manufacturing engineering
• Lvl. II M&P Engineer: 2+ years of experience in materials engineering, metallurgy, or manufacturing engineering
• Senior M&P Engineer: 5+ years of the above, with demonstrated technical leadership across a subsystem, program, or team

Responsibilities

• Provide Materials & Processes engineering expertise for metallic materials used across spacecraft structures, mechanisms, pressure systems, propulsion systems, and other flight hardware
• Support material selection and qualification for metals including aluminum, stainless steels, titanium, nickel-based alloys, copper alloys, and other aerospace materials
• Develop, review, and maintain material and process specifications, engineering standards, and acceptance criteria.
• Provide technical guidance for manufacturing processes including machining, forging, casting, heat treatment, welding, brazing, additive manufacturing, and surface treatments
• Evaluate material properties and manufacturing processes against structural, thermal, environmental, fatigue, fracture, corrosion, and life requirements
• Develop and execute material and process qualification test plans, including characterization of mechanical and physical properties. Develop and maintain material allowables and process controls
• Perform and support failure analysis and root cause investigations involving metallic flight hardware and manufacturing processes. Support nonconformance investigations, MRB activities, corrective actions, and disposition
• Work closely with Supplier Quality Engineering and Supply Chain to evaluate supplier capabilities, resolve technical issues, and develop critical suppliers
• Serve as highest technical authority on selected processes, alloy classes, or advanced testing techniques
• Mentor and raise the technical level of more junior M&P engineers across the team
• Represent M&P organization in program-level reviews and lead cross-functional initiatives

Skills

Metallurgy

Materials science

Failure analysis

M&P leadership

Education

B.S. in Materials Science/Engineering

M.S. preferred

Tools

Microscopy (SEM)

Metallography

Job description

Vast, headquartered in Long Beach, CA, is seeking a Materials & Processes Engineer – Metallics to support metallic materials across spaceflight hardware. You will develop specs, qualify materials, and guide manufacturing processes, while collaborating with Design, Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain teams.

The role demands hands-on analysis, strong communication, and the ability to work autonomously in a fast-paced aerospace environment.